Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

JPs Approve Raise For County Employees

Employees of Nevada County received a $50 per month raise retroactive to July after JPs approved the measure during its regular meeting Monday, August 14.

This raise came after July's discussion of some employees not working 40 hours per week but receiving full pay.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown told the quorum court that the personnel policy committee will probably have to meet before the end of the year to hammer out wording in the county's policy handbook before next year.

In July JP John Henderson raised the issue that some courthouse employees were only working seven hours a day, but receiving full pay according to the policy manual.

Some courthouse officials tried to justify the action during the July meeting by telling JPs that Nevada County's courthouse was open an hour longer than courthouses in Pike and Hempstead counties and those county employees made more money.

During Monday's meeting Brown told JPs that most of the deputies in the courthouse worked eight or more hours a day and no compensation time or overtime was being taken.

JP Curtis Lee Johnson told the rest of the group that he had met with a county official in northwest Arkansas who explained that the biggest theft in any county is employees stealing hours.

After approving the raises no further action was taken by the group.

JPs heard an update from Prescott-Nevada County Economic Director Jon Chadwell on work in his office.

Chadwell reported that several members of the community and LaSalle Management personnel had met with the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) director Larry Norris.

Norris was enthusiastic about locating a private prison in Arkansas, according to Chadwell.

He said LaSalle's management had arranged more meeting with prison officials to establish a comfort level between Arkansas prison officials and LaSalle.

LaSalle has a proposal to locate the state's first private-owned prison in Nevada County. They currently own and run several facilities in Louisiana.

Chadwell also talked briefly on a project in the now defunct Nevada County Hospital building, reporting that it could talk a year or more before announcing anything final.

Two prospects are looking at the industrial park. The park is located in Prescott, mainly on Ron Harrod Boulevard.

JPs heard a report from Chadwell also on the Fairhill fire station grant and later approved a motion seeking matching funds for the facility.

Fairhill Volunteer Fire Department is made up of the Fairview, Pleasant Hill and Nubbin Hill communities in northern Nevada County.

So far, Fairhill VFD has raised over $34,000. The grant will include matching funds for this and inkind labor and other donations.

JPs approved the purchase of Brown's current car by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

The county judge's vehicle is purchased half from the road and bridge budget and half from solid waste. The purchase by the JPs included transferring half the appraised $12,337 back to road and bridge from county general through the sheriff's office budget.

Road and bridge budget funds are primarily state turn back funds and that money can only be used for road and bridge purposes. The solid waste funds are for solid waste use and other purposes.

Brown will be receiving a new car in the next few months.

JPs established a program which will place the county judge's car in to the sheriff's office every other year and on those off years, will purchase a new vehicle for the sheriff's office.